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Thursday, June 11, 2015

Carnal Risk by Kym Grosso Blog Tour

Powerful CEO, Garrett Emerson’s, life and corporation are
built on a foundation of risk taking and top secret priorities. He works hard,
but plays even harder. When tragedy strikes, the charismatic and sexy
billionaire takes the gamble of his life by bringing a beautiful consultant
into his inner sanctum, exposing her to his exclusive society of extreme
athletes who are adventurous both in business and pleasure. Inexplicably drawn
to the intriguing woman, Garrett teaches her to face her fears, bringing them
both to new levels of ecstasy.

Selby Reynolds, a high profile technology specialist, reluctantly accepts an
engagement at Emerson Industries. Discovering secrets and uncovering clues to a
murder, she’s swept into Garrett's dangerous but seductive life of luxury.
Captivated by the world renowned capitalist and adventurer, she’s convinced he
could crush her heart. As he pushes her sexual limits and their erotic play
intensifies, Selby finds it impossible to resist the one man who turns her
darkest fantasies into a reality.

When Selby’s life is threatened by a killer, carnal lessons of trust are put to
the test, forcing them to choose who is friend and who is foe. Can Selby give
her heart to a man who revels in the excitement of flirting with death? Will
they prevail against an enemy who threatens to tear apart Garrett’s world,
including the fragile connection with the woman he seeks to claim as his own?

Recognizing his voice, she spun around and gave him a small smile. This was his hidden world, she knew, and he hadn’t invited her.

“Garrett asked me to attend,” Selby told him.

“He shouldn’t have done that.”

Selby stood firm, despite his annoyed expression. Over the years, she’d seen him both frustrated and determined, but never angry.

“It’s not like I asked to come. Garrett invited me.” She crossed her arms, irritated that he hadn’t welcomed her.

“Dance with me.” It was a command, not a request.

Selby marched to the parquet floor, allowing him to take her in his arms. The music slowed to a ballad and she began to plead her case.

“Please don’t be mad, Lars. You’re the one who got me into this.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” He exhaled loudly. “Look, Selby, the people in this room…you’re not like them.”

“Gee, thanks. Nice.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. But come on, you know you’re not big on any kind of adventure. These folks are here because they share a passion. You wouldn’t understand us. What we do…it’s not something you are ever going to do. We’ve been friends for a long time, but Garrett shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“Everything we do has a risk. I’m afraid to fly but I still do it anyway. And do you know why? Because at the end of the day, data speaks, bullshit walks. I know full well that I have a better chance of dying in a car accident than I do getting on a 747.”

“Well, your chances are a helluva a lot greater when you base jump. Try more like one in sixty.”

“True, but you haven’t died yet, and there are things I do that are a little risky.” She guessed that singing at the club wouldn’t rank very high on Lars’ list, but as far as she was concerned, it counted when it came to bravery.

“Get real. You can’t even go down an escalator without saying five Hail Marys and holding on for dear life. This club,” he gestured to the people dancing around them, “the people here tonight…they embrace it all. Pushing the envelope of what we’re supposed to be doing.” He paused and added, “Including sex.”

“What?” Selby had fully expected the ‘we like to do dangerous things’ lecture, but hadn’t expected him to talk about sex.

“Look around.” Lars spun her in a circle to the beat. He whispered in her ear. “The couple in the corner. It’s Chase and Penny. Do you see them?”

Selby glanced to a man and woman who sat in darkness. She could barely make out their silhouette.

“They’re fucking.”

“What? No they aren’t,” she protested. As she glanced again, she observed the slightest movement.

“Yes. Yes they are.”

“But Garrett said they’re investors…”

“They’re the originals. His venture capitalists are his closest friends. We helped him build his dream, and in the process, we all prospered.”

“That’s good, right?” Selby asked, still trying to catch a better look at what exactly the couple was doing. She swore Lars was just messing with her to get her to leave.

“Some work at Emerson. Most do. Some, like me, have our own companies with close partnerships with Emerson. A few,” Lars nodded to the band. “See the twins?”

Selby caught sight of the lead singer, who wore a tight black t-shirt. He tightly gripped the microphone, his heavily tattooed arms bulging every time he flexed. A similarly handsome man played drums.

“They’re recent doctoral grads from MIT. They were interning with Evan. Now they’re helping Chase out with a few things.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this involved having interns?”

“Because you don’t have any. You’re there to help recruit Evan’s replacement and expedite the outsourcing. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I know that,” she replied. Her lips pursed as she considered that once again Garrett hadn’t disclosed all the facts of the situation. Her whirling temper was thwarted as Lars stopped dancing and held her tight.

“What’s going on between you and Garrett?”

“Lars,” she breathed. Her head fell to his shoulder. Jesus, she wished she could lie to him, but she couldn’t.

“He wouldn’t have brought you here if you weren’t…are you sleeping with him?”

“No,” she protested. “And besides, even if I was, it’s not like it’s any of your business.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt, is all. It’s why I never introduced you to him. I knew how you admired him. Women lie down and spread their legs the minute he says hello, and you aren’t going to be one of them.”

“Are you kidding me?” Selby exclaimed.

“Look, he’s one of my best friends but he’s not like you. You’re innocent. You don’t have this addiction we’ve got.”

“Lars, I appreciate your advice but I’m not that girl you dated in college. I can handle myself.” Or so she hoped. Despite her confusion over Lars’ concerns, she wasn’t leaving.

“Just be careful, okay? I know you, Selby. I’ve seen you during an attack.”

Selby’s stomach lurched as he mentioned her weakness. Garrett, no matter how smitten, hadn’t seen her at her worst.

“The things we do aren’t for you,” Lars insisted, his voice firm.

“I surfed today,” she said defiantly. So what if she’d only stayed up for all of five seconds? It still counted.

“Yeah, Seth told me. I knew they’d push for you to do something to get to know the customer a little better. But surfing? Come on. You know that kids do it, right?” He shook his head and laughed. “It’s just a small sliver, baby. Unless you’re planning on goin’ with us on our next base jump, this place isn’t for you.”

His hand glided over her shoulder, and tingles ran down her arm. She caught a glimpse of anger in Lars’ eyes, but her focus was drawn to the debonair billionaire who’d invited her to the party. Her breath caught as her eyes devoured him. Dressed in black slacks and a white shirt, his strong muscular forearms pressed through his rolled up sleeves. A lock of his dark brown hair brushed over his forehead. He emanated sex without trying, his cool casual style apparent in his every movement and word.

“Garrett, Lars was just telling me about your, um, your club.” Her arm broke out in gooseflesh as he trailed his finger down it. Although covered by fabric, she swore she could feel the burn of his touch straight through her dress.

“Was he now?” Garrett’s eyes darted to Lars and back to Selby.

“Yes, he was telling me about your investors. Lars…” she went to address him but he’d walked away toward the bar. She shook her head, upset that he’d left angry. They never fought and it broke her heart to think he’d be irate about her seeing Garrett.

“Don’t worry about him. Everyone’s a little tense after last night. He’s going to be fine.” Garrett brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“I…Garrett,” she stammered.

Selby glanced around the room and caught sight of both Seth and Nate staring at her. As much as she yearned to throw herself into Garrett’s arms, she hadn’t expected public displays of affection at a company event.

“Selby?” He gave a small chuckle, tugging her toward the door.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her out onto a large balcony. It overlooked a magnificent waterfall that spilled into a swimming pool. Large glowing orbs the size of beach balls floated along its surface.

“It’s too noisy inside.”

“What is this place?” she asked in wonderment.

“This is Altura.”

Reviews by the
Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Self-made
billionaire Garrett Emerson has lost Evan, a close friend and he knows that it
was not an accident. His longtime friend Lars wants to help him heal and move
on. He wants to loan Shelby Reynolds, the best IT person around, to Garrett to
help find Evan's replacement. When they meet the sparks fly and he wants her
but he is not sure what the other feelings are. While Garrett is an adrenaline
junkie, Shelby is scared of almost everything. Can she trust Garrett to show
her what she is missing or will she be too scared to try? Will Garrett follow
his feeling and keep her close? While they are working to get things in order
to hire Evan's replacement, another friend and employee of Garrett's is attacked
and dies. They have to find out who is after his company and why? But the why
is the easy part as they have government contracts that are top secret as well
as not so secret stuff going on. Will they find out who the killer is before
anyone else gets hurt or worse? If you are looking for a great story with lust,
love and killer suspense, then this one is for you. This is a first for me from
Kym Grosso and I can't wait for more from her. Looking forward to Lars' story
coming 2016.

Rachael – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars
The beginning of this book was a bit odd to me and I wasn't sure what exactly
what was going on, but I was sucked in soon thereafter.

I loved our heroine had huge fears that she was forced to face because of the
hero. She learned she was much stronger than she ever thought because of him.

The whole book was captivating and had me on the edge of my seat to see who was
behind the killings until the very end.

However, I didn't think the traumas were fitting of being so horrible and 'bad'
(but maybe that's just me) and I felt like the whole 'VIP club' thing was
just.... strange. They were simply people that enjoyed extreme sports, nothing
that would necessarily in my mind make them need such a private club.

Other than that, I really did enjoy the book and can't wait more!

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆Carnal Risk is the first book in the
Club Altura series, I was hooked by the yummy cover and I actually enjoyed the
story!!
I'm sure you can empathize, choosing a book by its cover is never a guarantee
of a good book ;)

Garrett Emerson is a self-made billionaire and CEO of Emerson Industries, he's
also an adrenaline junkie that appreciates the finer things in life such as:
sky diving, base jumping, etc. While sky diving with his best-friend, an
unfortunate "accident" occurs, leading to Evan's untimely death. Not
only his best-friend, but also CTO with a hand in many different projects,
Evan's passing affects all aspects of Emerson Industries day-to-day business
including secret government contracts and top-secret research.

Selby Reynolds has been loaned by her boss and Garrett's close friend Lars (of
DLar-Tech) to temporarily step into Evan's position and find his permanent
replacement. Not an adrenaline junkie, Selby is more conservative than any
other Emerson employee, but just as adept at technological issues.

Together, the chemistry between Garrett and Selby is explosive. There weren't
any lulls in this story. Non-stop action between the suspense angle (was Evan's
death an accident?), the dare-devil antics, and steamy romance kept me on the
edge of my seat and wanting more. For once, I've read and enjoyed a billionaire
romance that broke the mold!
I was slightly confused on the significance of Club Altura itself. A couple of
scenes took place there and I got the general gist of it, but other than a
meeting of like-minded dare-devils I never really understood the importance.
Nonetheless, this was an excellent story that contained humor, action,
adventure, and steamy romance – it was an all-around interesting story!

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Garrett Emerson knows hard work. He's built his company to what it is today.
While he works hard, he plays even hard. He's an adrenaline junkie. He loves
doing those things that make his heart race. He loves the rush, the feeling
that he's alive. When his best friend, Evan, falls to his death while sky
diving Garrett knows that with Evan's experience this was no accident.

Garrett needs help finding a replacement for Evan at Emerson Enterprises. His
friend Lars suggests a loan of sorts, he'll send him Selby, an IT and
recruiter, from his company DLar-Tech to help him get back on his feet. Garrett
knows he needs the help and agrees. Garrett needs to show Selby what the
company is all about, but showing her her fears can turn into excitement. Can Selby
keep her past hidden? Can Garrett keep his promise to Lars to not touch Selby?

The cover was the pull before I even read the blurb, but the story kept me
there. I loved the sexiness, the suspense, Garrett's alpha ways.

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I am very excited that this is the first of a series, because I love the premise, and there is clearly a lot more mileage in stories about the Club Altura members.

The dual POV worked well, and the overlapping of incidents made for interesting takes on the same scenario. It was steamy hot and possibly best read when in private. I thought that the espionage plot was well dealt with too, and added depth to the story. I have to say I would jump out of a plane for Garrett, however scared I might be! Lots of hotness, and then lots of humanity too. Will be on my reread list.

Kym Grosso is the USA Today
bestselling and award-winning author of the erotic paranormal romance series,
The Immortals of New Orleans. The series currently includes Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New
Orleans, Book 1), Luca’s Magic Embrace
(Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), Tristan’s
Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3), Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 4), Léopold’s Wicked Embrace (Immortals of
New Orleans, Book 5), and Dimitri
(Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6).

In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about
autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She also is a contributing
essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.

Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include
autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her
husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique
cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just
about anywhere that has a beach or snow-covered mountains. On any given night,
when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is
filled with hundreds of romances.

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